Holiday Gift Ideas for Students – 2023

November 30, 2023November 26, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

It hardly seems possible that the calendar has rolled around to the holiday season again! But here we are!

As we think about family and friends – those we will gather with and those afar – many of us naturally begin to think about gifts. And sometimes it can seem especially tough to come up with ideas for your college student. They’ve been away for a few months and it may be harder to think about what they need and want. Or perhaps your student will just be heading to college next fall and you’d like to give them a head start on some good college-useful gifts.

Of course, you know your student better than anyone and can tap into their interests and needs. Maybe they’ve even given you some suggestions or made some requests.

But just in case you’re stumped, we’re here to help. We have 14 new suggestions this year to add to the nearly 120 suggestions in our Holiday Gift Guide. Start with this year’s list and then hop over to our Guide for even more food for thought. Check out our ideas and then let your own creativity take over! If you have additional ideas or suggestions, share them in the comments. Let’s make this a community project!

Book Review – Outsmart Your Brain by Daniel T. Willingham

September 7, 2023August 21, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students. There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years. We’ve offered some lists of recommended reading, and there is something for everyone. Visit our Resources page for suggestions of important books for college parents and their students.

Daniel T. Willingham’s book Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy is a book that will give high school students a boost and should be packed in every college student’s luggage as they head off to school. It’s not a book your student will sit down and read from cover to cover, and it isn’t meant to be. Your student may even scoff at it and assume they don’t need it. But as they settle into the work of college, as they begin to hit the inevitable bumps in the academic road, if the book is there waiting for them, they will have an approachable resource that can make the difference between failure and success.

Book Review: The Mindful College Student

July 10, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students. There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years. See the Recommended Reading section of our Resources page for more suggestions.

Eric Loucks’ book The Mindful College Student: How to Succeed, Boost Well-Being and Build the Life You Want at University and Beyond is an invitation. Dr. Loucks is an expert in the field of Mindfulness, and his book includes academic understanding of the field, but largely, throughout the book, Dr. Loucks invites his reader to join in the contemplations and exercises to come closer to their thoughts, feelings and physical sensations. The work isn’t always easy, but the invitation guides the reader.

Today’s college students are experiencing more stress and anxiety than ever before. Those of us on college campuses see it daily. Students are stressed and overwhelmed and many of them don’t know how to cope with what they are feeling. This book is for them – and really for all of us.

Six Gift Book Suggestions for Your High School Graduate (Plus a Bonus!)

June 13, 2023May 29, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

Congratulations! You have a high school graduate! This is a milestone and you want to give your student just the right gift(s). A graduation gift can be very personal and we have lists of suggestions to get you started. Be sure to check out our list – and then get your creative juices flowing.

Let’s get specific here about some summer (and beyond) reading.

If your student is headed off to college, there’s a lot to learn and understand about the college world, and your student may be both excited and anxious about how things will go. Among those graduation gifts, a book or two (or three or more) might be just the thing for your student to read over the summer as they prepare for college and also take with them for reference later. (Maybe a little surprise tucked into their luggage for discovery while they’re unpacking!)

There a lots and lots of good books about college life, college success, and career readiness out there. We have a full reading list with books for parents and books for students. But for now, here are our top six favorites to gift to your student as they head off to college. You may not want them all, but check them out and see what seems to fit your student best.

#086 – Highlights from Jeff Selingo’s Book There Is Life After College

April 25, 2023April 19, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

Jeff Selingo’s book There is Life After College: What Parents and Students Should Know About Navigating School to Prepare for the Jobs of Tomorrow is a hidden gem. Whether you have a student in high school, in college, or a recent graduate, this is a wonderful resource to share with your student. We think higher education professionals will also find this book eye opening and motivating. In this episode Vicki and Lynn touch on some of the key themes and how they have seen these reflected in today’s students. Understanding some of the issues facing students as they prepare for a career will help you support and guide your student.

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Book Review: From Classroom to Career

February 7, 2023February 7, 2023 by Vicki Nelson

From time to time, we like to review some of the books available for parents of college students or for parents to share with their students. There is a wealth of literature available to help parents cope with the transition to college and the changes that occur throughout the college years. There is something for everyone. See the Recommended Reading section of our Resources page for more suggestions and reviews.

Graduating from college and moving into a career is a scary moment. Shirley Morrison’s From Classroom to Career: How to Network, Nail the Interview, and Navigate for Success can help take some of the mystery and intimidation out of the situation. This book is chock full of practical advice for establishing and advancing your career and can help students feel more comfortable as they enter the workforce.

There is no shortage of books of advice about how to prepare for and enter the workforce. Most students, by the time they graduate from college, know how to fashion a resume, network with contacts, seek out opportunities, prepare for an interview, and even negotiate a salary. But all of this is sometimes abstract or formulaic advice.

Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Student – 2022 (Plus over 100 more!)

March 18, 2023November 28, 2022 by Vicki Nelson

We’ve rolled around the calendar to the holiday season again! How is that possible?

As we think about family and friends – those we will gather with and those afar – we naturally begin to think about gifts. And sometimes it can seem especially tough to come up with ideas for your college student. They’ve been away for a few months and it may be harder to think about what they need and want. Or perhaps your student will just be heading to college next fall and you’d like to give them a head start on some good college-useful gifts.

Of course, you know your student better than anyone and can tap into their interests and needs. Maybe they’ve even given you some suggestions or made some requests.

But just in case you’re stumped, we’re here to help. We have 15 new suggestions this year to add to the over 100 suggestions in our Holiday Gift Guide. Start with this year’s list and then hop over to our Guide for even more food for thought. Check out our ideas and then let your own creativity take over! If you have additional ideas or suggestions, share them in the comments. Let’s make the a community project!

Review: The Disintegrating Student

September 26, 2022 by Vicki Nelson

The Disintegrating Student: Struggling But Smart and Falling Apart . . . and How to Turn It Around by Dr. Jeanine Jannot is a book that will help any parent with a falling-apart student – or any parent who worries that their student might someday struggle. What Jannot recognizes, and explains so clearly for parents, is that many (most?) students will reach what Jannot calls a “rigor tipping point.” According to Jannot, “These students all had a history of outstanding academic achievement. . . And then, often without any apparent warning, some of the best and brightest of these conscientious, motivated kids seemed to fall apart, both academically and emotionally.”

Review: How to Get the Most Out of College

June 13, 2023June 27, 2022 by Vicki Nelson

How to Get the Most Out of College: 127 Ways to Make Connections, Make It Work for You, and Make a Difference by Elliot Felix should be shared with your student as they begin their college search and admission process. The core message that college is not an obstacle to survive but rather an experience you create should be front and center for every student as they approach their college years.

Review – The Talking College Card Deck

June 8, 2022June 6, 2022 by Vicki Nelson

This time, we’re taking a slightly different approach and reviewing a product, rather than a book, that is a great resource for helping your student make the transition from high school to college. Although we generally stick to books, we think this set of conversation prompts fills many of the same needs.

Be sure to visit our Resources page for suggestions of important books for college parents and their students.

Having the right conversations is an important way to help prepare your student for college. The Talking College Card Deck, created by Dr. Andrea Brenner, is a collection of discussion prompts for parents and students that will help you begin those essential conversations. These pre-college conversations can help parents and students learn from each other and anticipate the college experience.